Inline hookah filter

ABSTRACT

An inline hookah filter constructed to fit between the hookah outlet and hookah hose, and to filter undesired impurities, such as water, soot, ash, tar, and some toxic chemicals out of the smoke in a standard hookah, or other water pipe. The inline hookah filter is a cylindrical shape, formed with tapered tip and female tapered seal on opposing ends, constructed to accommodate all standard hookah fittings and create airtight seals between the hookah and the inline fitter and between the inline filter and hose with the use specially designed seals and coatings.

This application claims the benefit of the filing date of provisionalapplication No. 61/603,357, filed on Feb. 26, 2012

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates generally to water pipe smoking systemsand accessories. The present invention is more particularly, though notexclusively, to an inline filtration system for a water pipe designed tocool the smoke and filter impurities prior to inhalation by the user.

Smoking tobacco dates back thousands of years. From the ancient Mayansto the Middle East to Native Americans, there have been pipes, rolledtobacco “cigarettes.” and countless implements fashioned to inhale thesmoke from burning tobacco leaves. The hookah, first emerged in Indiaand Pakistan a thousand years ago and has been reinvented many timesthrough its history. A hookah is a water pipe that was originallyadapted to smoke opium and hashish, but has undergone severaltransformations and most commonly used to smoke many kinds of tobaccotoday. Smoking hookah has gained popularity, spreading from its nativeregion in India and the Middle East throughout the rest of the world inEurope, and North and South America.

A hookah, also known as a water pipe, narghile, or shisha, is a singleor multi-stemmed instrument for smoking flavored tobacco in which thesmoke is passed through a water basin (often a glass “base”) beforeinhalation. The user holds a hose with a mouthpiece that constitutes theend of the system. The user places the mouthpiece to his or her mouthand draws on the mouthpiece creating a pressure differential that pullssmoke through the entire system. The tobacco is packed into a bowl atthe top of the system and topped with a screen and hot coals that heatand burn the tobacco. The bowl is formed with holes in the bottom,through which smoke from the burning tobacco flows. The smoke passesthrough the hookah's stem, into the base, and bubbles through the waterin the bottom of the base, out a port in the base, through a hose andultimately into the smoker's mouth and lungs.

As with any burning tobacco or other such smoking paraphernalia, thesmoke emerges from the flames or smoldering tobaccos at hightemperatures. Many smoking implements such as cigars, cigarillos, andsome cigarettes are dried, rolled tobacco wrapped only in tobacco leavesor paper with no provisions for cooling the smoke as it enters theuser's mouth. This presents an uncomfortable situation to many smokers.The water in the bowl of a water pipe, or hookah, on the other hand,serves a primary purpose to cool the smoke; much in the same way thefilter on most cigarettes cools and filters the tobacco smoke as it isburned. The water also serves a minimal secondary purpose to fitter andpurify the smoke.

While the water in the bowl of the hookah does much to cool the smokethat passes through it, the water does little to actually filter thesmoke. As a result, the smoke from the tobacco that passes through thesystem carries with it the smoke from the coals, in addition to the ash,soot, tar, and toxic chemicals (such as nicotine and carbon monoxide)that are released from the burning tobacco. All of these freely passthrough the hookah's plumbing, bubble through the water, directly intothe user's mouth and lungs, adversely affecting the user's health overtime.

Currently, there are a number of inline systems available that areadapted for filtering the smoke after bubbling through the water intothe hose. Some systems use a cotton or carbon filter element to cool andfilter the smoke as it passes through the system, but are largelyineffective as they often alter the flavor of the smoke that passes ordo little to actually filter the smoke. Other systems have employed asilica gel system in place of the carbon or cotton, but these filtersincrease the backpressure on the hose, requiring the user to draw harderon the mouthpiece. Further, as most systems include hoses and fittingsof a fixed or single circumference, many existing systems do not createa tight enough seal between the hookah port outlet and the filter, orbetween the filter and the hose fitting, resulting in air leaks as theuser draws on the mouthpiece or complete disconnect of the hose from thehookah port due to the loose coupling.

There is therefore a need for an effective, compact, versatile, tightlyfitting, and inexpensive method for filtering and cooling the smoke asit passes through the hose to the user.

SUMMARY

Disclosed is an effective, versatile, and inexpensive answer to waterpipe filtration needs, addressed by an inline hookah filter formed tofit any common hookah stem and hose combination, fitting securelybetween the hookah port and the male fitting on the end of the hookahhose, and providing filtration and additional smoke cooling prior to thesmoke exiting the system.

The inline hookah filter of the present invention is formed in a conicalor cylindrical shape with a tapered tip for adaptation to a hookah port,a female receiver with a rubber or similarly constructed seal tapered toreceive the male fitting of a hookah hose, and a filter elementcontained within the cylindrical filter body, between the tapered tipand the female tapered seal. The tapered, cylindrical nature of the tipof the inline hookah filter is coated with a textured urethane rubbercoating, or similar substrate, providing an airtight friction seal whenpressed into place and coupled to a hookah port. The filter element ofthe inline Hookah Filter may be composed of a air-permeable membrane,such as cellulose acetate or a similar compound known to those skilledin the art, providing superior filtration and cooling properties than asimilar product with a cotton, charcoal, or even silica gel filterelement.

The user inserts the male end of the hookah hose into the receiving endof the inline, hookah filter, coupling the male hose fitting with thefemale tapered seal providing a tight friction coupling between the maleend of the hose and the female end of the inline hookah filter.

As the user draws a breath through the hookah hose, smoke is pulledthrough the system, cooled as it bubbles through the water, and funneledthrough the inline hookah filter, which prevents water and impurities,such as ash, soot, tar, and toxic chemicals, from reaching the hookahhose and ultimately the user's lungs.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a side view of a typical hookah system with the presentinvention installed between the hookah port and the hookah hose, andfurther depicting the movement of smoke from burning tobacco, down thehookah stem, through a volume of water in the hookah base, through theport, through the inline hookah filter, into the hookah hose and out themouthpiece to a user.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the hookah filter,viewed from the inlet, or tapered tip, of the inline hookah filter, andshowing the area covered by the urethane coating.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention,viewed from the top or outlet of the inline hookah filter, depicting theposition and the interaction of the female tapered seal with the malehose fitting of the hookah hose, and the interaction of the tapered tipof the inline hookah filter with the port in the base of a hookah.

FIG. 4 is a side view of one embodiment of the present invention,depicting the inline hookah filter's tapered, conical shape and theurethane coating on the tapered tip.

FIG. 5 is a side cross sectional view of one preferred embodiment of thepresent invention, showing a cross section of the inline hookah filter,positioning of the filter element, the tapered shape of both the taperedtip and the female tapered seal, and the connection surfaces where thefilter body and filter cap meet.

FIG. 6 is a top view, looking into the outlet of the inline hookahfilter, showing an interior view of the female tapered seal, and thestar-shape of the internal screen of the filter cap that maintainsfilter element position.

FIG. 7 is a bottom view, looking into the tapered tip of the inlinehookah filter, showing the perforated opening, and the relative size ofthe tip to the rest of the inline hookah filter body.

FIG. 8 is an exploded view of the of one embodiment of the presentinvention, showing the female tapered seal, the filter cap, the filterelement, and the filter body with the tapered tip.

DESCRIPTION

The present invention incorporates a filter apparatus for cooling andfiltering the smoke produced by burning tobacco in a hookah or waterpipe. A hookah may be formed in many variations, some more ornate thanothers. Often a hookah will have a manifold with multiple ports, servingmultiple hoses, such that multiple users may smoke the hookahsimultaneously. For simplicity, the hookah described herein is onedesigned for a single user and a single inline hookah filter, howeverthat should not be viewed by those skilled in the art as a limitingaspect of the present invention. The present invention may be employedon as many hoses as formed on a given hookah.

Referring to FIG. 1, a simple, single port hookah is generally labeled100. The hookah itself has a bowl 102, hookah stem 104, and a base 106.The stem 104 and base 106 connect at the top, and bowl 102 is affixedthereto. A hookah base is typically made from translucent or transparentglass, but the base may be constructed from many other substances knownin the art, such as composites, plastics, or metal. The base 106described herein is formed with a single port 108, into which the malehose fitting 110 is ordinarily fit. However, as shown in FIG. 1, theinline hookah filter 200 of the present invention is interposed betweenport 108 and the male fitting of the hookah, hose 110.

In order to utilize the hookah to smoke tobacco, or specially flavoredshisha, the user will pack tobacco 112 (shown in dashed view) in thebowl 102 and cover the top of the bowl with a screen (not pictured) andcoals 116. The coals 116 are heated to the point of burning, and ascoals 116 smolder, the coals 116 transfer heat across the screen (notshown) and burn the tobacco 112.

Once the tobacco 112 begins to smolder and emit smoke, the user placesthe mouthpiece 118 to his or her mouth and draws a breath throughmouthpiece 118. This action creates vacuum pressure within hookah hose120, port 108, and base 106. The vacuum pressure draws smoke 122 fromthe smoldering tobacco 112, through holes (not shown) formed in thebottom of bowl 102, through hookah stem 104 that extends into the water124 in base 106. As the smoke 122 arrives at the bottom of the hookahstem 104, it bubbles through water 124. The bubbles induce heattransfer, and smoke 122 loses heat to the 5 surrounding water 124. Thenow cooled smoke 126 is collected within the base 106 and moves out port108. As the user continues to inhale from the mouthpiece 118, the cooledsmoke 126 flows from the base 106 through hookah port 108, through theinline hookah filter 200, into hose 120, and out mouthpiece 118 into theuser's mouth and lungs.

Still referring to FIG. 1, the inline hookah titter 200 is interposedbetween the hookah port 108 and the male hose fitting 110. In use, theinline hookah filter 200 accepts ail of the cooled smoke 126 passingthrough the hookah's plumbing, filtering water and other undesiredimpurities from the smoke 15 and further cooling the cooled smoke 126,before the reaching the mouthpiece 118 and the user at the end of thesystem. The inline hookah filter 200, and more specifically the innerfilter element 206 (in FIG. 2F shown in dashed view) traps the undesiredimpurities such as soot, ash, tar, and toxic chemicals, that may passthrough the water 124, and 20 prevent such things from reaching theuser's lungs.

Referring to FIG. 2, the inline hookah filter, generally labeled 200, isdepicted in perspective from the bottom, or tapered tip 210, looking up.The preferred embodiment of the present invention is formed with afilter body 202, filter cap 204, filter element 206, and a femaletapered seal 208. Filter element 206 and female tapered seal 208 areshown in FIG. 3. Filter body 202 is formed with a tapered tip 210 havinga perforated opening 212 and rigid and nontoxic coating 214, such asurethane rubber or similar coating known to those skilled in the art.Filter body 202 and filter cap 204 are joined at connection surfaces222A-B.

Tapered tip 210 is formed with a tapered shape similar to that of a 10common male hose fitting 110 allowing secure fit to most hookah ports108 of hookahs 100 in the market. Perforated opening 212 providesstructural support to the opening of filter body 202 simultaneouslyallowing cooled smoke 126 to pass while preventing large impurities andwater from entering inline hookah filter 200 and hookah hose 120. When15 the inline hookah filter 200 is inserted into port 108, coating 214enables a secure, airtight seal between the inline hookah filter 200 andport 108. Often the male hose fitting 110 of an ordinary hookah 100 iswooden or plastic while the hookah port 108 or manifold is glass ormetal. As such, the seal provided between the male hose fitting 110 andthe hookah port 108 is often poor, allowing air to flow around thecoupling or worse, allowing the male hose fitting 110 to work loose andfall completely out of the port 108. In an effort to remedy thissituation, a user may insert a separate piece of rubber, or fabricbetween male hose fitting 110 and port 108 in order to affect anairtight coupling. Coating 214 on the tapered tip 210 of filter body 202provides such a solution, eliminating the need for the extra parts whileproviding an airtight coupling, it is to be appreciated by those skilledin the art, that other coatings besides a urethane rubber coating, as inthis embodiment of the present invention, may be utilized to achieve thesame ends. Urethane rubber in this sense is not intended to be alimiting aspect of the present invention.

In one alternative embodiment, the filter body 202 is not coated withsuch a 10 coating 214, but the entire filter body 202 is constructed ofa rigid compound providing the similar characteristics.

Referring to FIG. 3, the inline hookah filter 200 is depicted inperspective from the filter cap 204, looking down. Filter cap 204 isformed roughly as a cylinder, with a conical interior shape into whichor female tapered seal 208 is fixed. Female tapered seal 208 is formedwith ridges 216 extending, laterally around the interior perimeter.Ridges 218 are formed in progressively smaller diameters, moving towardthe center of inline hookah filter 200.

In use, the male hookah fitting 110 is moved in direction 218 and 20inserted into the female tapered seal 208, and the progressively smallerridges 216 of female tapered seal 208, form a secure, friction-sealaround the mate hookah fitting 110 of the hookah hose 120 when firmlypressed in place. Likewise, tapered tip 210 of the inline hookah filter200 is moved in direction 219 to couple with the hookah port 108, wherecoating 214, provides a mechanism to create a similar airtight seal withport 108. This construction ensures ail cooled smoke 128 passes throughthe inline hookah filter 200, and more specifically, filter element 206,in use Filter element 206 (shown in phantom) is contained within filterbody 202, and is sized slightly larger than the interior dimensions offilter body 202, ensuring a tight fit. This also prevents the filterelement 206 from moving around within the filter body 202.

Referring now to FIGS. 4-5, the preferred embodiment of the inlinehookah filter 200 is shown from a side view-FIG. 4 is a view from theoutside of the present invention, while FIG. 5 is a cross section of thesame. FIG. 4 depicts the relative size of the filter body 202 and thefilter cap 204, showing the tapered tip 210 and coating 214. FIG. 5 moreclearly shows the positioning of filter element 206 and its relativeposition within filter body 202. Filter element 206 is held in place byfilter cap 204 and, more specifically, the internal screen 220 formedinto filter cap 204. Internal screen 220 prevents filter element 206movement, while simultaneously allowing the cooled smoke 128 to pass andfurther aiding the prevention of water intrusion into the hookah hose120.

FIG. 5 further depicts ridges 216 of female tapered seal 208. The fivelevels of tapering of ridges 216A-216E are shown for illustrativepurposes. These should not be viewed as limiting, as those skilled inthe art are to appreciate that a different number of ridges 216 and moreor less tapering may be appropriate for a given embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a top view of the inline hookah filter 200 looking into thefilter cap 204 and the female tapered seal 208. This aspect clearlyshows the concentric relationship between the female tapered seal 208and the internal screen 220. Further, the decreasing dimensions ofridges 216A-E of the interior diameter of female tapered seal 208 areapparent. As a male hose fitting 110 is inserted into the female taperedseal 208, the rubber of the ridges 216 of female tapered seal 208stretches slightly, and as the rubber of the ridges 216 contracts, theridges 216 form an airtight seal around the male hose fitting 110.

FIG. 7 is a view from the tapered lip 210 of the filter body 202,showing a plan view of the perforated opening 212 of the tapered tip210. Perforated opening 212 is designed to allow smoke to pass whilepreventing water intrusion to the filter element 206.

FIG. 8 is an exploded view of the preferred embodiment of the inlinehookah litter 200, illustrating four, major parts: filter body 202,filter cap 204, filter element 206, and female tapered seal 208. Thefilter body 202 contains the filter element 206. In the preferredembodiment, the filter element 206 is slightly larger than the cavitywithin filter body 202, creating a tight fit and preventing filterelement 206 from moving or sliding into the tapered tip. The filter cap204 is further secured to the filter body and the internal screen 220further maintains fitter element 206 position.

Filter cap 204 is formed with a connection surface 222A that has acomplementary connection surface 222B on filter body 202. Whenconstructed, filter element 206 is inserted within filter body 202, andfilter cap 204 is fit securely in place by use of an adhesive or otherappropriate substance known to those skilled in the art, to permanentlycouple the filter body 202 and filter cap 204 where the two portionsmeet at connection surface 222A-222B. The preferred embodiment of thepresent invention affects a permanent bond at connection surface222A-222B.

Filter cap 204 is further formed with internal ridges 224, running alongthe longitudinal axis of the interior filter cap 204, as shown in FIG.8. Corresponding external ridges 226 are formed onto the exterior offemale tapered seal 208, orthogonal to ridges 216 on the interior orfemale tapered seal 208. When assembled, internal ridges 224 of filtercap 204 receive external ridges 226 on female tapered seal 208,maintaining the position of female tapered seal 208 within filter cap204. Just as the interior surface of female tapered seal 208 maintainsan airtight coupling with male hose fitting 110, the exterior diameterof female tapered seal 208 is sized in order to maintain an airtightseal with the interior surface of filter cap 204.

An alternate embodiment of the present invention incorporates filterbody 202 and filter cap 204 with connection surfaces 222A-222B that arenot permanent-!n an embodiment, connection surface 222A incorporatesexternal threads that are complementary to internal threads formed onconnection surface 222B. This embodiment allows a user to twist thefilter body 202 away from the filter cap 204 and separate the two parts.In another embodiment, connection surface 222A is formed with a grooveon the interior perimeter while connection surface 222B is formed with acomplementary ridge formed on the external perimeter, allowing the userto “snap” the filter body 202 and filter cap 204 apart and then backtogether. In these embodiments, a user can disconnect 15 filter body 202from filter cap 204 allowing the user to remove a used filter element206 and replace it with a new filter element 206, and subsequentlyreattach the two halves.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the filter body 202 andfilter cap 204 are constructed from a composite or plastic, enabling the20 manufacturer to quickly and inexpensively mold the individual partsof the inline hookah filter 200. In another embodiment, the filter body202 and filter cap 204 can be constructed, of a more rugged materialsuch as a metal or alloy and incorporate the threaded or snap connectionsurfaces 222A-B, creating a sturdier and more lasting embodiment of theinvention.

While the apparatus and method have been described in detail withreference to specific embodiments thereof, it will be apparent to oneskilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be madetherein without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. Thus, it isintended that the present description cover the modifications andvariations of the apparatus and method provided they come within thescope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. An improved hookah comprising: a base having aport adapted to receive a hose; a stem in fluid communication with thebase; a bowl in fluid communication with the stem; and a filterremovably disposed in the port wherein the filter comprises a filterbody, filter cap, filter element, a female tapered seal adapted toreceive the hose, and a tapered tip adapted to engage the port, saidtapered tip and female tapered seal comprising a resilient non-toxiccoating for hermetically sealing the hose to the base.
 2. The hookah ofclaim 1 wherein the tapered tip comprises a male hose fitting.
 3. Thehookah of claim 1 wherein the perforated opening is gas permeable andsolid impermeable.
 4. The hookah of claim 1 wherein the perforatedopening is water impermeable.
 5. The hookah of claim 1 wherein thecoating is made of urethane rubber or a material having resilientmaterial characteristics similar to urethane rubber.
 6. The hookah ofclaim 1 wherein the filter is cylindrical in plan view.
 7. The hookah ofclaim 1 wherein the filter is conical in profile view.
 8. The hookah ofclaim 1 wherein the filter element is larger in circumference than thefilter body to ensure a tight fit.
 9. The hookah of claim 1 wherein thefilter element is held in place by the filter cap.
 10. The hookah ofclaim 1 further comprising an internal screen formed into the filtercap.
 11. The hookah of claim 1 wherein the female tapered seal comprisesridges adapted to stretch and contract when engaging a male hosefitting.
 12. The hookah of claim 1 wherein the tapered tip comprisesperforations.
 13. The hookah of claim 1 wherein the filter cap isaffixed to the filter body with an adhesive.
 14. The hookah of claim 1wherein the filter cap comprises longitudinal ridges.
 15. The hookah ofclaim 1 wherein the filter body and filter cap comprise complimentaryinternal threads.
 16. The hookah of claim 1 wherein the filter body andfilter cap comprise a snap fitting.
 17. The hookah of claim 1 whereinthe filter body and filter cap are made from a material chosen from thelist of plastic, plastic composite, metal and metal alloy.